


Going Underground

by My_Trex_has_fleas



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, Fluff and Humor, Geology, M/M, Mild Peril, Spelunking, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-10-10 12:10:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20527832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Trex_has_fleas/pseuds/My_Trex_has_fleas
Summary: Hux has everything he wants - a position as a research fellow at Oxford, academic prowess that holds others in awe and the chance to explore the most exciting cave system recently discovered in England. In fact, he thinks his life would be perfect if it weren't for one thing - Kylo Ren. Unfortunately the powers that be think he and Kylo would make perfect partners on this particular project. Will they be able to put aside their differences and work together or will only one of them actually make it out of the cave alive? (to join the betting pool, please see Phasma in the Geology Department, 3rd Floor).





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This is my fic for the Kylux Mini Bang done in conjunction with my very talented and delightful artist, ofcacthuxandkylosairs. We hope you enjoy this silly little story :D

Armitage Hux was a man of books and letters and an unflinching belief in the hallowed halls of academia. He’d been proud to be made the youngest fellow of Oxford’s Geology Department at twenty-five, a brilliant scholar who’d swept through the distinguished halls in spite of his rather humble beginnings as the illegitimate son of one of the Tory party’s most upstanding members. There was a running joke that it had been Brandol Hux’s upstanding member that had got him into trouble with the very pretty cook in the Houses of Parliament’s kitchen and produced a son that had his mother’s fine looks and his father’s aptitude for manipulation and networking.

Money and recognition had been tight and it had made Hux (Armitage was a dreadful mouthful) as driven as he was. He’d made it into Harrow on a scholarship and then taken to Oxford like a duck to water. The obsequious nature of the place, coupled with the fact that it was founded on every bastion of inherited wealth that could be found in a ten square mile area. His classmates had all been the same, horse-teethed and stewing in their own self-entitlement and as much as Hux wanted to hate it, his envious nature meant he luxuriated in it instead. He copied their mannerisms and honed a cut glass accent that made it clear just what class he belonged to on first meeting. He wore clothes bought on Saville Row and had his hair slicked back. The epitome of the same Hooray Henry type he’d always despised for not being when he was younger and his tutors and department staff ate it up. He was a geologist in the grand old style they’d say and make approving noises at him. Life had been good and Hux had settled into the life he’d always knew he should have had. 

Then he arrived. 

The first impression Kylo Ren had made had not been a good one as far as Hux was concerned. He was so cocksure, so brash, so very...American. He’d swaggered into the place waving a flag for what he called New Geology © and Hux had hated him on sight. His hair was too long and he dressed all in black and had a group of equally annoying hangers on that called themselves (shudder) the Knights of Ren, like they were in a rock band or something equally atrocious. Hux wanted to grab them all by their unsuitable haircuts and bang their heads together. 

The worst part was that the department found Ren enthralling and talked him up as the next big thing for History like he was a prodigal son returned. It didn’t help matters that Ren was from an impeccable family lineage himself. The Organas were second only to the Kennedys in being political royalty and his mother’s role as a Democratic Senator that repeatedly and magnificently put the boot into Trump made Ren a celebrity amongst the seething mock-liberals that thronged Oxford’s campuses. His father was a well-known racing driver that had eloped with Leia Organa when she was only seventeen. Han Solo was good looking and had a cutting wit and easy smile that his son had inherited and which was so at odds with Hux’s uptight sense of good manners. 

The Department, being the dreadful old queens they were, immediately spotted the tension between them and put them in the same study. Not only that, but they somehow managed to wangle them onto a special project that had arisen because some farmer in Lancashire had uprooted a tree stump on his back field only to fall right through the ground and into an unknown cave system that showed every sign of being magnificent enough to rival the Three Counties System for size and Wookey Hole for beauty. Hux had had dreams ever since the discovery of going down and illuminating the caverns and maybe even having one named after him (a modest little fantasy in his estimation). Instead we was going in to make his first exploratory visit with Kylo fucking Ren at his side and it grated him completely. 

A knock at the door of his study made him break out of his contemplation.

‘Come in,’ he called and the door opened to show his best friend Phasma and his teaching assistant, a weedy little third year named Dopheld Mitaka. They both peered around the door, clearly surveying the landscape and evaluating the reception they’d be getting but he just sighed and waved them in. 

‘You look like shit,’ Phasma declared and he glared at her. She was the daughter of a particularly high ranking Earl, over six feet tall and with cropped platinum hair and a reputation for cutting a swathe through every pretty leggy first year she could convince to have a moment of bicuriosity with her. Hux was convinced that she was responsible for the current trend for every girl on campus comparing their boyfriend’s skills at cunnilingus with hers and finding them terribly unfavourable. Phasma was more than just a power lesbian, she was an intergalactic lesbian, towering over every man in the department in her twelve inch Louboutins and he absolutely adored her. Mitaka, on the other hand, was small in both physique and character but he was biddable and extremely willing to do anything that Hux demanded of him and so he kept him around. Mitaka was brilliant in his own way and so much more than the dunces Ren surrounded himself with. 

‘I brought these up for you.’ He handed Hux a sheaf of papers and then gave him the paper cup in his other hand. ‘And a triple vanilla macchiato.’ 

‘Thank God.’ Hux took a bracing sip of his coffee and waved a hand in the direction of his sofa. ‘Sit. I need to go through the procedure with you for tomorrow.’ 

Phasma threw herself down, her long body posed almost louchely as she crossed her long legs and gave him a sharp smile. 

‘You know he’s running around campus talking about nothing but the trip and how he’s going to be writing the seminal paper on it,’ she remarked, inspecting her short nails which were painted to look like tiny nebulae. 

‘He’s an arrogant wanker,’ Hux muttered, going through the papers. ‘Is all the equipment in order?’

‘Everything’s ready.’ Mitaka had squashed himself into the free corner of the sofa. ‘We have to share the bus though.’

‘God.’ Hux rolled his eyes. ‘Stuck in an enclosed space with Ren and his merry band of morons for four hours? I think I’d rather walk.’ 

‘Shared grants are a bitch.’ Phasma’s teeth were perfectly white and perfectly even and having her smile directed at one was like being hit in the face by The Feminine Mystique. Hux may have forgotten to mention that he was also more than a little terrified of her and she made Mitaka positively quake in his sensible wellington boots. 

‘I am aware of that,’ he snapped. ‘I just need him to stay out of my way so that some actual science can be done.’ 

‘Good luck on that,’ Phasma said cheerily. ‘He’s bringing a video camera.’ 

‘Fuck.’ Hux let his head fall to the desk. This was not going to go well at all.

\- 

The next morning arrived and found them assembling in the car park outside the Geology building. Hux was checking over his equipment and stacking everything neatly in the back of the minibus when he heard tyres screech. He looked up to see a sleek black Charge tear into the car park, it’s V8 engine making far too much noise for Saturday morning. He sneered as it came to a stop and Ren fell out the left side, his clothes rumpled and with dark shadows under his eyes. He’d clearly not been to bed the night before and Hux stuck his nose in the air and looked down it at him. 

‘You’re late,’ he hissed and behind him he heard Phasma snort in amusement. 

‘I’m here, aren’t I?’ Ren shook out his perfectly glossy thick black hair (and how Hux hated him for the fact that it always managed to look salon worthy even after one of his terrifying benders) and sauntered over. Behind him, the other doors of the Charger opened and two of his Knights got out, also dressed in black and looking just as worse for wear. They stumbled to the boot and started unpacking gear and Hux snorted. 

‘I see you’ve got your lackeys working hard,’ he said and Ren grinned and took an obnoxiously loud sip of his Starbucks. 

‘Being Instagram famous has its perks,’ he replied and came to peer over Hux’s shoulder. ‘What you got there, huh?’

‘None of your bloody business is what I’ve got,’ Hux snapped, shooing him away. ‘Go and direct your sad little tribe of emos, would you? I’m very busy.’

‘We’re literally going to be travelling together,’ Ren smiled. ‘We’ll leave when everything is packed.’ he looked pointedly at the boot. ‘You might want to leave some space for us.’ He winked at Hux and then sauntered back to his car, leaving Hux frothing at the mouth. 

‘God, I hate him,’ he muttered and Phasma chuckled. 

‘I do wonder if that is really true sometimes.’ Her blue eyes were sparkling with mischief when she looked at him. ‘The last time someone got your knickers this twisted, you ended up fucking them.’

‘Shut up, Phasma!’ Hux flailed at her. ‘He could hear you!’ 

‘It’s true though,’ Mitaka piped up from the seat in front of the boot where he was busy setting up maps and trackers on his tablet. ‘And he’s very attractive for an American.’

‘I would like to remind you both that I have far better taste than that.’ Hux threw Ren a disdainful look. ‘He probably hasn’t got a clue which fork to use first.’ 

‘Oh, I doubt that.’ Phasma bumped his shoulder with hers. ‘He’s Leia Organa’s son.’

‘And his father is an ex-smuggler turned racing driver,’ Hux retorted. ‘I would wager my entire grant that he takes after him.’ 

-

At the car, Kylo watched Hux hissing furiously at Phasma and Mitaka and contemplated how the early morning light made his pale skin glow and set his hair on fire. It was a real pity he had such an unpleasant personality because he really was Kylo’s type. He had an enormous (and that was the gospel truth) hard-on for haughty society types who wouldn’t give him the time of day. Han always likes to chuckle about the fact that he clearly had inherited his father’s taste. 

‘Hey, can you focus for five minutes?’ Zehra snapped her fingers in his face. She was a tiny thing, dark haired and dark eyed and feisty as fuck and she glared at him as Kylo grinned sheepishly, knowing he’d been caught staring. 

‘I can’t help it he’s pretty,’ he replied and she snorted. It was something she and Phasma had in common. Kylo was also aware that she and phasma had fallen into bed together on a number of occasions and that their favourite topic of conversation was his and Hux’s hateful relationship. 

‘No, but you’re not here to get laid,’ she reminded him. ‘You’re here to do something historic and I will not let you sabotage it by allowing your dick to do the thinking for you.’ She flicked her glossy waist long plait over one shoulder. 

‘Zehra’s right,’ Brahim said. He was taking out the heavier packs, the muscles in his arms bulging. ‘We need to do this equipment check and get on the road. That way we get in the system fast and can do a sufficient amount of exploration before we need to come out for the night.’ 

‘Okay. I’m on it.’ Kylo knew that his two seconds were far more sensible than he was and that was why they were coming with him. Unlike Hux he didn’t have a dedicated TA to boss around and at least his friends were there because they were just as invested, something Hux never seemed to understand. 

They spent the next ten minutes packing their equipment into the remaining pace in the mini bus and making sure that they had everything before Kylo shut the hatch and then walked around to the driver’s side, frowning when he found Hux already ensconced in the driver’s seat. 

‘Get out,’ he said. ‘You drive like my Great Uncle Ben.’ 

‘I do not!’ Hux spluttered. ‘And you’ll forgive me for wanting to arrive at our destination in an actual state of life.’

Kylo grinned. He adored riling Hux up, it was so easy and so much fun to do. 

‘Look.’ He held out a hand. ‘We both know that I’m the better driver. Do I need to remind you about the time we had to go to Devon and that cow walked across the road and made you scream and drive into a ditch?’

Hux narrowed his eyes at him (they were an exquisite shade of jade green and so perfect they took Kylo’s breath away) and sneered at him. 

‘That was entirely your fault,’ he sniped. ‘If you hadn’t buggered up the navigation we would never have been in that village.’

‘That just proves my point,’ Kylo said. ‘I’m the driver and you’re the navigator. That way we don’t get lost and we actually arrive before lunch time.’

Hux opened his mouth and then shut it, apparently unable to refute such a sensible suggestion. He looked like a furious mongoose and it made Kylo want to do terrible things to him. 

‘Fine!’ he spat and threw the door open, catching Kylo in the chest and making him double over. ‘Get out of my way, I can't vacate the vehicle with you standing there like great bloody lump!’ 

Kylo straightened up and glanced at where the collected assistants were watching them from the back seats. Phasma and Zehra were together, one earbud each and cackling while Brahim and Mitaka were regarding them with exasperation and bemusement respectively. He huffed and climbed into the driver’s seat, annoyed that he didn’t even need to adjust it because Hux was every bit as tall as he was, even if he was only half as wide. He waited until Hux got in, settling in and muttering as he did up his seat belt and then taking a map (an actual honest-to-god paper one) and shaking it out so it took up almost the entire front space. Kylo batted it aside and started the minibus, praying that the day would get better.


	2. Chapter Two

Spoiler alert: it didn’t

The drive wasn’t too bad. Kylo hated to admit it but Hux was a superlative navigator and he directed their route with all the assurance of a general directing his troops into battle, full of confidence they they would all die before he did. Their passengers were also very low maintenance and apart from a demand for coffee at the first service station, they hadn’t been any trouble at all. 

Now though, he and Hux were glaring at each other and squabbling like small children over the radio. 

‘This station is for geriatrics!’ he yelled and Hux gave him a furious look. 

‘Radio 3 is the finest the BBC has to offer,’ he retorted sniffily. ‘But then I expect being an America, you simply have no culture.’

‘Listening to classical music doesn’t make you cultured,’ Kylo hissed. ‘It just makes you a pretentious asshole desperate to fit in with the rich kids, which you definitely aren’t and it shows.’

‘Damn,’ Zehra muttered behind him. ‘Low blow, dude.’

It had worked though. Hux was going puce with anger.

‘How dare you!’ He looked a minute away from an aneurysm. ‘I’ll have you know that unlike some of us, I worked for everything I have achieved so you can take your silver spoon entitlement and…’

‘Hux,’ Phasma said soothingly from the back. ‘Maybe you should calm down. You know what the doctor said about your blood pressure.’

Kylo was intrigued by that remark and how it made Hux back down, although he continued to whisper venomous nothings in Kylo’s direction. What Hux said rankled, because there was an element of truth to it. Kylo had not been the easiest of children to raise, especially compared to his sister Rey. She was a paragon of virtue and the apple of his parents’ eyes and he’d rebelled heavily and gotten thrown out of several high schools before he’d finally got his act together. He also knew that it was Leia’s connections and the fact that she was an Oxford alumnus that he was here at all, but that had been the past Kylo and now he worked as hard as anyone else. 

He sighed and then winced as Zehra gave him a mighty kick in the back of his seat. 

‘Hey,’ he finally said, knowing exactly what she was getting at. ‘How about a truce? We both have to be down there for the next two days so we might as well try and work together.’

Hux looked like he’d rather be eaten by a large toothy animal but then Phasma coughed suggestively and his mouth flattened into a neat little line. 

‘Very well,’ he huffed. ‘But don’t think for a minute that I will let you get away with any of your rock star shenanigans down there. This is serious business.’ 

Kylo had to hide his smile, watching Brahim mouth the word ‘shenanigans?’ in the rearview mirror at him. 

‘I promise I will treat it with all the dignity and seriousness it deserves,’ he replied and congratulated himself on keeping a straight face. To his astonishment, Hux actually seemed a little mollified by that and gave him a curt nod. 

‘That is acceptable,’ he replied and turned the radio to BBC 3. Kylo gritted his teeth and decided to be the bigger man. 

\- 

They finally arrived at the farm the cave system was on a little before ten o’clock and Phasma leaped out the back to go open the gate, hauling it like she was born to the country life. Hux often thought she’d be happiest wandering the moors in tweed with a pack of beagles at her heels before returning to her stately home and tongue-fucking her nubile wife into a coma. He’d once mentioned that over dinner and she’d gotten all misty-eyed so he knew he wasn’t far off. 

Ren drove the minibus in, the whole suspension rattling over the cattle grid and then stopped to wait for her to close the gate and get back in. The cave system was on a field down to the left and they drove along the dirt track until they spotted the large copse that indicated the start of the gorge that held the mouth of the cave. He parked and Hux undid his seatbelt and got out, trying not to look too eager even though his heart was starting to race in anticipation. He walked to the edge of the copse and saw it, a huge split in the earth that dropped about ten feet to the bottom. The mouth was at the far end and he contemplated how best to get their equipment down. The sides were sheer with several buttresses creating a zig zag effect that made it difficult to see to the end. The only reason the farmer had been down here was because his daughter and her friend had been playing close by and decided to explore, returning home with a story about a cave that seemed to go on forever. 

There was a brook that ran along the bottom of the gorge, disappearing underground near the middle buttress. Hux suspected it would surface again somewhere in the cave system and he all but clapped his hands in glee at what might be down there. Water meant mineral deposits and that could signal the existence of something rather spectacular. 

‘Wow,’ Ren said next to him and Hux glanced over to see a look of uncharacteristic reverence on his face. ‘This is beautiful.’

‘It’ll be even better underground,’ he replied, unable to help himself. ‘This could be the most important geological find of the decade if my theories are correct.’ 

‘Yeah.’ Ren was smiling now and Hux hated himself for admiring how endearing it made Ren look, softening his features and showing an almost innocent delight in what he saw. He looked very handsome like that and Hux’s stomach did a pleasant little flip, which he covered up by clearing his throat. 

‘Shall we, then?’ he asked and Ren nodded eagerly. 

They went back to the minibus and started getting ready. The idea was to overnight in the cave so they would have to take a fair bit of kit down with them. Each person had a pack with their provisions, sleeping bag and mat and the various tools they might need, including first aid kits. They all had a lantern and a high powered torch in addition to their headlamps, harnesses, ropes, carabiners and pads. Hux knew he had a tendency to over-prepare but he liked to be safe and comfortable when he potholed. Once the gear was out and stacked in piles, they all got dressed in their coveralls and started fixing up their harnesses and helmets. 

Hux averted his eyes from Ren’s rangy form, sneaking a peek every now and then. Ren was a beast, well muscled and as fit as hell. He’d heard that he didn’t just have a six pack, he had an eight pack. He was predictably wearing a fleece undersuit in black, and had his equally black oversuit still undone around his waist. Hux’s own suit was predominantly red, a more sensible choice in his opinion because what kind of idiot would wear all black in a cave. He zipped it up and slipped his neoprene socked feet into his safety wellies, ignoring the snickers from the Knights. They were wearing laced boots and he knew his team would have the last laugh when they had dry feet. English caves were nothing is not as damp as a mermaid’s girdle. He strapped on his harnesses, watching Phasma help Zehra with hers and doing a very appreciative hand rub over it afterwards. Zehra smirked at her and Hux knew they would probably be finding a quiet spot later. He hoped to God he didn’t have to listen to sex noises because that would make the whole exercise very undignified. Next came his neoprene hood, then his helmet and headlamp and he was finally ready to go. 

‘All set?’ he asked and Phasma nodded. They shouldered their packs and started for the edge of the gorge, finding the easiest way down and taking their time to descend to the bottom. Ren and his team were a little way down from them, taking a slightly steeper route and Hux rolled his eyes. Now was not the time for showboating. 

They hit the bottom and started walking, skirting the edge of the brook. Phasma stopped and dipped her hand in at one point, tasting the clear water. 

‘It’s milky,’ she told him and Hux was delighted. Milky water meant calcium and that meant calcium carbonate and that meant stalactites and stalagmites. Up ahead, Ren was doing the same and he looked back and gave them a thumbs up. 

The twists in the gorge revealed mossy walls and a passage that narrowed as they got closer to the cave mouth. It was little more than a black slit in the rock wall but Hux thought it was like a doorway to a realm of unimagined possibility and he dearly wanted to be first through. That was going to be an impossibility though because Ren’s team was ahead. The steeper route had been more fortuitous and he hid his disappointment and stopped to wait for them to go in, but to his astonishment, Ren held his Knights up and then turned to Hux with an almost shy grin. 

‘You want to go in first?’ he asked and Hux gaped at him. 

‘But why?’ he stammered. ‘Surely you want to go in first?’

‘Well, yeah,’ Ren shrugged. ‘But, you know. I don’t want it as badly as you.’ He waved a broad hand at the cave mouth. ‘So after you.’ 

Hux was dumbfounded. This was the last thing he’d expected and he opened and shut his mouth a couple of times before going bright red, his face flaming hot. 

‘Oh.’ He was on the verge of clasping his hands like some anime heroine and severely berated himself for behaving like a love-struck idiot (because he was most definitely not, shut up Phasma!). ‘Only if you’re sure.’

Ren gave him a grin that was equal parts cocky and equal parts infuriating. 

‘I’m sure,’ he replied. ‘Besides, this way I get to look at your ass.’

Hux was convinced he was now blushing so hard he was going to self-combust. In a fit of embarrassment, he stomped past the snickering Knights and ignored the traitorous giggles coming from behind him to get to the cave mouth. As he braced both hands against the rock walls on either side, he looked at Ren and noticed that those big dark eyes had motes of gold in them. 

‘Thank you,’ he said and for once in his life he was being completely sincere. 

Ren’s smile faltered and then came back full force so he was positively beaming. 

‘You’re very welcome,’ he said and let Hux take the first step inside. It was pitch black beyond just a couple of feet and he turned his headlamp on to reveal a narrow passageway of light brown stone. The farmer’s daughter had reported that it ran for about thirty feet before it expanded into the first cavern and that was as far as they had gone, using their mobile phones to light the way. His headlamp was far more powerful and Hus got shivers looking at the beautifully sculpted rock walls on either side of him. 

‘Damn.’ Ren’s voice was right behind him, the excitement he was feeling clearly in evidence. ‘Why do I get the feeling that this is going to be something else.’ 

‘It’s Carboniferous Limestone,’ he said, gently trailing a hand over the surface of the wall. ‘Just like Cheddar.’ 

‘No bats though,’ Ren replied. ‘At least none that they saw so that should mean a nice clean floor.’

‘I wonder if there’ll be any artefacts.’ Hux’s imagination was starting to run away with him. ‘This could be just as old or maybe older.’ 

‘Maybe.’ Ren let out a deep breath. ‘You want to keep moving?’

‘Oh.’ Hux realised he’d just been standing there. He started walking again, taking care to keep his footfalls soldi and steady. Turning an ankle down here would be extremely problematic and he took his time navigating the passage until he felt the air moving. 

‘I’ve got air currents,’ he said over his shoulder. ‘Are there other entrances?’

‘Don’t know,’ Mitaka called a few feet back. ‘The farmer didn’t know of any and his family have lived here since the 1600s.’ 

‘It seems likely,’ Ren observed. ‘Especially if there are no bats down here. There could be several chambers that lead into one another.’ 

‘Yes.’ Hux wanted to skip. ‘That would be an excellent outcome.’ 

He kept moving forward and then saw the walls fall away on either side. He had anticipated a large cavern but what he saw in front of him took his breath away entirely. He heard Ren gasp behind him and moved so they could stand side by side and take in the view.

The cave was a spectacular example of a solutional formation. To their left was a series of wide columns, the base at least ten metres wide and stacked right up to the ceiling. On their right was a magnificent series of flowstone draperies, the stone curving and bending fluidly so that it seemed almost to be moving in the light of their headlamps. The entire space was voluminous and appeared to have several further passages leading off of it. 

‘Oh my.’ Hux let out a happy sigh. ‘This is perfect.’ 

‘Fuck yeah.’ Ren bounced on the soles of his boots. ‘So, we set up base camp and then go have a look around?’

Hux looked at him, grinning like a maniac and then made a grand gesture at the stretch of sandy floor in front of them. 

‘After you,’ he replied and Ren burst out laughing and bounded in front of him. He was acting like an overenthusiastic puppy and, instead of being annoyed, Hux found it a joy to watch. He was so enthralled that he didn’t notice Phasma standing next to him until she pinched his side and made him yelp. 

‘Don’t think I didn’t notice that little moment you two just had,’ she said, a sly grin on her face. 

‘Oh shut up,’ Hux muttered and started blushing again. Thankfully down here, it would be too dark to see. He made his way down to the cave floor and started taking stock. It was thankfully flat and dry and would make the perfect place to camp overnight. He set his pack down and took out his waist belt. This held his spare head lamp, carabiners, ascenders, descenders, ropes and footloops. He strapped it on and saw that Ren was doing the same. Mitaka had his notebook out already and was making a rough sketch of the cave. It was one of the things Hux appreciated about him, his devotion to doing things old school. Brahim was doing the same but using a tablet and Hux shared a quick glance with Phasma, both of them grinning. Zehra was sitting down, another tablet out as she measured the cave with a laser measuring tool. 

‘This is a big sucker,’ she remarked. ‘I think we might be breaking some records.’

‘Damn,’ Ren grinned. ‘This is going to be one hell of a spelunk.’

‘That is such a ridiculous word,’ Hux snorted. ‘Spelunk.’

‘It’s better than potholing,’ Ren retorted. ‘Come on General, let’s go exploring. These guys can handle this.’ 

Hux huffed at the nickname, given because of his bloody minded commitment to planning everything to the nth degree, but he followed Ren nonetheless. Ren chose the first passage to the east and went in. Hux had to move quicker to keep up and they found another passage similar to the first. It curved around to the right, descending gently into the ground and he had to overbalance a couple of times when the ground changed shape abruptly. The last time he was a little too late to correct himself and tripped, squeaking and expecting to land on his face. 

Instead, he found himself caught in a pair of strong arms and looked up into Ren’s smiling face. Hux’s pulse started to race and he was frozen in place, Ren’s face only a few inches from his. 

‘You need to be more careful, Hux,’ Ren said and his voice was husky. It really didn’t help the state of Hux’s poor hormones.

‘Well, I’m not part mountain goat like you,’ he replied and Ren chuckled softly and set him back on his feet. 

‘Come on,’ he said. ‘I think I can hear water.’ 

Hux listened and also thought he could hear the telltale rush of sound. It was more than likely the brook from the gorge breaking through the rock. They kept going and soon enough the walls spread out again and they found themselves in another cavern. This one was smaller but the formations were more spectacular with stalactites and stalagmites surrounding them and meeting in delicate formations that had the appearance of lace. The limestone was white and pristine, adding to the illusion and Hux was entranced. 

‘It’s magnificent,’ he breathed and next to him, Ren seemed lost for words. They stood and stared at the rocks, arms brushing and just revelling in the amazing sight before them. 

‘Okay,’ Ren finally said. ‘So you want this one?’

‘Hmmm?’ Hux floundered for a second as he put two and two together. ‘No, hang on a minute. If I say yes, then you get the next one?’

‘That would be how it would work.’ Ren’s smile was toothy and sharp. 

‘But what if it’s better than this one?’ Hux countered and Ren’s dark eyes gleamed. 

‘That would be a risk you’d have to take,’ he said and Hux was right back to wanting to thump him. 

‘But what if this is the best one?’ he said and then huffed because Ren was clearly having far too much fun with this. ‘No, I think I shall reserve judgement until further exploration.’

‘Okay,’ Ren grinned. ‘But I’m calling dibs on this one then.’ he started moving into the cave, jumping off the rock they were standing on. 

‘What? No!’ Hux followed him, and this time he very nearly did fall on his face. ‘You can’t do that!’

‘Already did,’ Ren singsonged. ‘Too late for regrets, General.’

‘Ugh!’ Hux glared at him. ‘You’re insufferable!’

All he got in reply was another sly grin. 

‘I know,’ Ren said and winked at him.


	3. Chapter Three

Their preliminary explorations proved to be every bit as spectacular as Kylo had secretly hoped. He’d wanted something along the lines of Castleton or Cheddar and he was being repaid in a way that had him looking around him with childlike delight and feeling a sense of vindication that not even sharing it with Hux managed to dim. 

He stole a glance at the man next to him, admiring the sleek lines of Hux in his oversuit. The man was built like a greyhound, far stronger and tougher than his urbane exterior might suggest. It had been four hours since they entered the cave and he was going strong, keeping up with Kylo with no trouble at all and making astute observations that had Kylo grinning at the dry humour dripping from Hux’s voice. How he’d managed to miss the man’s sense of humour, Kylo would never know. 

They were now three chambers in and had hit a dead end. This cave was shallower than the other, the roof swooping in lamost to touch their heads in places, and it had a stretch of water that flowed gently through it. The pool was fairly shallow, probably not more than thigh height at its deepest point. It was perfectly clear, almost crystalline, and Kylo had tested the water and found it mildly alkaline. It tasted good, the minerals in it and the icy cold temperature making it very refreshing. 

‘It clearly goes somewhere,’ Hux was saying to Phasma. ‘You can see from the flow.’

‘I understand that.’ Phasma was using her reasonable voice. ‘But it wouldn’t be a good idea to go off galavanting through it when we have no idea what could be on the other side.’

‘Yes, but…’ Hux started but she cut him off with a held up hand. 

‘You bring me along on these things precisely because I am the voice of reason and you value my advice.’ she told him. ‘So listen to me when I say that there will be plenty of time to send a camera down there tomorrow and see what we’re dealing with. It’s not going to hurt to be cautious.’ 

That made Kylo’s ears prick up. He’d never seen Hux like this, his normally icy demeanour completely melted by his obvious enthusiasm. He had to admit that he was also chomping at the bit to see what lay beyond the water. They had inspected with torches as best they could and as far as Kylo could tell, there was an opening at the far end where the water seemed to disappear under the rock that looked as if it could be big enough to squeeze through. They could easily send down a two man team (himself and Hux obviously) and it wouldn’t take too long to have a nose around and see what lay on the other side. 

‘Don’t even think about it.’ Zehra materialised next to him as if by magic and Kylo jumped, knowing his guilt was written all over his face. Zehra had a habit of making him feel like his mother did whenever she’d caught him doing something he shouldn’t. To brush it off, he affected an air of casual insouciance.  
‘I wasn’t thinking about anything.’ he declared and she narrowed her dark eyes at him. 

‘Liar,’ she said and jabbed him with a sharp finger. Kylo winced and resisted the urge to rub his arm. Zehra’s fingers were even pointier than his sister’s. 

‘Seriously,’ he replied, aware now that Hux and Phasma were also listening. ‘I’m not thinking about anything.’ 

‘You better not.’ Zehra had both hands on her slight hips. ‘Because if you even so much as hint at going down there without proper checks and precautions, I’ll help Phasma tie you both up and leave you down here for the bats.’ 

‘Fine,’ Kylo threw up his hands. ‘I solemnly swear I won’t do anything without checking with you first.’ He stretched innocently and when one hand was behind his head, he crossed his fingers. ‘And I absolutely will not go exploring unless I tell you first.’ 

Zehra seemed mollified by this and went to go talk to Phasma, passing by Hux as she did so. Hux watched her pass him with a perfectly neutral expression but Kylo didn’t miss the glint in his green eyes when Hux looked back at him. Their eyes met and the glint intensified and Kylo found himself grinning in a conspiratorial fashion as he realised they were on the same wavelength. He gave Hux a wink and was momentarily stunned when Hux smirked back in clear amusement tinged with admiration. 

Things were about to get interesting.

-

The rest of the day was spent measuring and photographing the three caves, taking water samples and soil samples and mapping out the spaces. It was supremely enjoyable in itself, but Hux was drawn to the stretch of water, his eyes seeking out the far end of the cave. He wasn’t alone in this though, and the knowing smiles passing between him and Ren had only increased in number as the day wore on. Hux wasn’t about to jump to conclusions, but he was pretty sure that he and Ren were definitely thinking the same thing. 

They called time at about six in the evening, a full day’s work under their belts. Brahim and Mitaka had set up a base in the first cave and were now preparing what would be dinner. They had brought a couple of spirit stoves, the mouth of the cave providing sufficient ventilation, and were chatting amiably as they made something that smelled surprisingly good. Hux couldn’t cook to save his life, having refused because of the connotations attached to the act, and lived mostly off the college kitchen, so he was curious as he peered over Mitaka’s shoulder. 

‘It’s just tomato soup,’ Mitaka explained. ‘I’ve got cheese to sprinkle on top and some bread rolls.’

‘Excellent.’ Phasma was on his other side, nose twitching as she inhaled deeply. ‘Brahim, what are you making?’

‘I’m heating up some chilli,’ he replied. ‘Kylo made it yesterday so we could bring it with.’ 

Hux frowned, hiding his astonishment. He’d had no idea Ren could make anything apart from himself into a nuisance. He glanced at him and got a grin that bordered on shy, not a look he’d ever seen before. 

‘You cook?’ he asked and Ren shrugged. 

‘I needed to learn how to take care of myself,’ he said, and there was an undercurrent that Hux picked up easily because he recognised the bitterness of a child who’d been left alone for too much time. ‘My parents weren’t around a lot, and our cook was a tyrant who insisted on exact meals times so if I wanted something I had to make it myself. Although my sister is the real chef. She can make something edible out of pretty much nothing.’ 

It occurred to Hux that this was the most he’d ever learned about Ren, and definitely the longest they’d managed to go without sniping at each other. It brought up all sorts of possibilities. He decided to bide his time, hovering over Mitaka until he got shooed away and then eating the shared chilli and tomato soup with gusto. He was opposite Ren and noticed how he had finished and was watching Hux with a small smile on his face. 

He waited until they had all finished eating before taking his cigarettes out and waving them at Ren. 

‘I’m going for a smoke,’ he announced and saw Ren’s eyes flash with understanding. 

‘I’ll join you.’ He was up and moving before any of the others had even caught up. Hux grinned and together they went outside, taking care to be far enough from the cave mouth that they wouldn’t be overheard. 

‘So.’ He shook a cigarette out the pack and lit it before handing the pack over to Ren, who took one and then lit it with a battered silver zippo. ‘What exactly are we going to do about that third cave?’

‘I have a couple of ideas.’ Ren exhaled through his nose like a dragon and the smoke wove itself around him. It had the effect of making him look rather mysterious and Hux let his eyes linger longer than they would normally. 

‘Would you care to share them?’ he asked and Ren grinned, sharp and calculating. 

‘Depends,’ he replied. ‘Are you in?’

‘I most certainly am.’ Hux exhaled haughtily. ‘I am not letting you have all the fun.’

‘We’ll have to be careful.’ Ren came over a little and the cigarette smoke combined with whatever cologne he wore. It made Hux want to sniff him and that was definitely a step too far. Still, he didn’t move away. 

‘I know.’ He glanced over his shoulder. ‘But I may have a plan.’

-

Hux’s plan turned out to be a bottle of vodka and a fiendishly tricky drinking game. In the interests of playing his part. Kylo sacrificed his bottle of Jack Daniels and proceeded to try and get everyone else as drunk as possible. It turned out to be strangely easy. Mitaka had no constitution whatsoever, Brahim didn’t drink of course but he was someone who regularly went to bed at eight so he was merrily snoring away with no need for chemical assistance. Zehra and Phasma were so busy making calf eyes at each other that it was child’s play to keep topping up the enamel mugs they were drinking from. Eventually they toppled over like trees that had been felled and left him and Hux cackling at each other in delight at how spectacularly well their little scheme had worked. 

‘Well done.’ Hux leaned across the space between them, clinking his mug against Kylo’s. ‘That was a splendid idea.’

‘They’ll be out for at least eight or nine hours.’ Kylo considered the timing. ‘If we get a bit of sleep now, we can get up before they will. That way we can be off before they even know we’re missing.’ 

‘Wait a second.’ Hux rolled over to the sleeping hulk that was Phasma and frisked her, coming out with her phone. ‘Phas always sets an alarm.’ he tapped away at the screen and Kylo frowned. 

‘You know her password?’ he asked and Hux snickered. 

‘I know everything about her,’ he replied. ‘We practically grew up together. She lived a couple of houses down from me, used to stop the neighbourhood chavs from beating me up when I came home on school holidays.’ He made a noise of triumph. ‘Done. Now she’ll sleep like a baby until eleven.’ 

‘Aren’t you scared she’ll skin you alive though?’ Kylo gave Zehra a gentle nudge with his toe. ‘I would be.’

‘She’s going to be severely pissed off,’ Hux admitted. ‘But once she sees that it was for a good cause, she’ll be fine. Better to beg forgiveness than ask for permission and all that.’

Kylo laughed and drained his own mug. 

‘You know, I think I like this side of you,’ he remarked. ‘Who knew there was a rule breaker lurking inside that stuffy exterior.’ 

‘Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong.’ Hux smirked. ‘I am nothing if not ambitious and I am determined to see where that stream leads.’ He got up and started laying out his sleeping mat and sleeping bag. ‘So with that in mind, I say we go to sleep and be all set for the morning.’ 

Kylo watched him, smiling behind his hand at the way Hux fussed over his bedding. He was already laid out, his sleep mat at an odd angle and his sleeping bag draped haphazardly over himself. He waited until Hux was sealed in and lying down before reaching out and turning off the lamp. The darkness around them was split by the cave mouth and he could see tiny pinpricks of light at the top, made all the brighter by the darkness of the cave. 

‘Hey Hux.’ He turned his head in his direction. ‘I know we’ve had our differences, but I’m glad I’m going in there with you tomorrow.’ 

‘Now Ren, less of that.’ The dryness was cutting but Kylo though he could hear just the tiniest hint of pleasure under it. ‘Don’t make me start liking you.’ 

‘Too late.’ Kylo rolled himself in his sleeping bag. ‘You already like me.’

-

There was just the faintest hint of sunrise when Hux woke up unprompted. He’d only drunk a minimal amount the night before and so he was clear headed and almost vibrating with excitement at the thought of getting into the cave. He turned the lamp on glanced across and peered at the lump that was Ren, then picked up his travel pillow and launched it at him. It hit Ren right in the face and he had to stifle a chuckle when Ren flailed out of sleep and sat bolt upright, his hair a tangled mess. 

‘What?’ He rubbed his eyes and then blinked in the light of the lamp. ‘Is it time?’

‘Yes.’ Hux got up. ‘It’s time.’

They didn’t risk waking the others so they took everything they needed and crept from the first cave, leaving behind anything that wouldn’t fit through the opening with them. Hux made sure he had his spare batteries and scurried after Ren, wishing that he could manage the types of kit Ren carried on those stupidly broad shoulders. 

They only stopped when they got to the third cave, adding a couple of extra layers under their oversuits to combat the cold water. Hux made sure he was all kitted out properly and then eyed Ren’s black oversuit. 

‘Why?’ he asked and Ren grinned.

‘The aesthetic,’ he replied. ‘Why else?’

They ate a quick breakfast of power bars and bananas then started to plot their route. Ren stood at the edge of the pool aiming his powerful lamp at the back. With the light focused in just the right place, they could see the opening. It looked to be about three feet off the bottom with enough space for them to not have to completely submerge themselves in order to pass through, although it did look like a tight squeeze. 

‘I’ll go first,’ he said and Hux glared at him. 

‘What if you get stuck?’ he demanded. ‘Then nobody will get past. I’ll go first.’

‘You’re almost the same height as me.’ Ren protested. 

‘But half as wide,’ Hux countered. ‘Now step aside so we can get on with this.’ 

He stepped down off the rock ledge carefully, testing the floor of the stream for stability and slipperiness. Thankfully it seemed to be silted and that gave him traction, so he stepped in with the other foot and noted that the water came to just below the line of his boots under his oversuit. The waterproof taping at the ankle cuffs was keeping the water out but Hux could definitely feel the chill. 

‘It’s cold,’ he said over his shoulder. ‘We’d do well to move quickly.’

‘On it.’ Ren came in behind him, a little clumsier than Hux had been. He moved more deliberately, setting his feet down heavily to anchor himself and Hux turned back and started wading towards the back of the cave. The water was moving but not enough to knock them off their feet which was a good sign. It would be impossible to get through if the stream turned into a torrent and he made a mental note to add this to the list of potential hazards. 

They got to the back and Hux crouched down, shining his lamp through the opening. Up close he could see that it continued for about three feet and then the darkness expanded once again at the end of it. That meant enough space to probably stand up and he grinned over his shoulder at Ren. 

‘Here we go,’ he said and braced one hand on the rock wall and started to fold himself up enough to make his way through. The water frothed around his chest and Hux kept his chin up and his eyes fixed on the space ahead of him. It was tricky to work his way through, and he steadied his breathing so that he didn’t start to hyperventilate. There was rising excitement in his chest and as he got closer, Hux could feel himself getting the rush of adrenaline that he always associated with exploring a new system. Behind him, Ren had also entered the tunnel and his breathing was loud even with the noise of the water. Hux could feel him bump into his heels every now and then and he was oddly comforted to have Ren right behind him. 

The space opened up and Hux managed to get to his feet. The water moved away to his right and as he swung his lamp around to take in the sight around him, he completely lost any breath he might have been keeping in. 

‘Oh my,’ he said and there was a woosh of water as ren came into the cave behind him and got to his feet, unfolding like a very large and very sombre beach chair. 

‘Whoa.’ His voice was awed as his lamp swung in wide arcs, the light catching on sparkles and tiny rainbows. ‘Holy shit. Look at it all.’ 

‘My dear Ren, for once your dreadful Americanism is completely fitting.’ Hux could hardly believe what he was looking at. There was no doubt they would be making history that day. There certainly would be no cave in the whole of the United Kingdom that would be able to rival this one once they had shown it to the world.

It couldn’t rival Mexico’s cave of Crystals for scale, that much was true, but it was beautiful and the fact that he and Ren were the first people to see it in living memory made Hux feel truly humbled. There were delicate filigrees of snowy white and ice like formations that were the source of the tiny rainbows. The water moved down the slope into another pool, this one deeper and edged with more crystals that caught the light and stuck out like spikes on a guard dog’s collar. Towards the back of the pool, they clustered together like bunches of flowers and Ren made a happy noise next to him. 

‘We’ve hit the fucking jackpot here.’ His eyes were bright when he looked at Hux. ‘See this was so worth breaking the rules for.’ 

‘I have to agree.’ Hux was smiling so hard his face ached. It wasn’t used to the kind of workout it was currently getting. ‘It’s utterly spectacular.’ 

‘And it’s all ours.’ Ren’s grin turned smug. ‘I’m thinking a co-authored article in The Journal.’ 

‘Presentations at Burlington House.’ Hux’s imagination took flight, imagining the kind of hobnobbing this would bring. 

‘They’ll definitely have to give us fellowship.’ Ren looked positively dreamy. ‘Even my dad will have to be impressed if I get membership of the Geological Society.’ 

‘As would mine.’ Hux was delighted. This was just the sort of thing Brandol would be foaming at the mouth to boast about at his club. He sighed happily and put his hands on his hips. ‘Now, would you prefer to bask a little while longer, or get to work.’

‘I think I’d like to bask a little bit longer thank you,’ Ren laughed and threw an arm around Hux’s shoulders. ‘We did it.’ 

Hux contemplated the fact that Ren had very nicely muscled arms, evident even through his layers. It was distracting in the nicest possible way and he had a moment to wonder how it would feel to be picked up and possibly manhandled by them. He sidled the tiniest bit closer and allowed himself a discreet lean into Ren. 

‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘We certainly did.’


	4. Chapter 4

They spent a couple of happy hours taking notes and pictures and cataloguing the various formations and Hux had to admit that they made a very good team. Kylo (he’d stopped thinking of him as Ren about an hour ago, a quiet shocking development that had made Hux have to catch his breath when he realised the implications) was single-minded in his attention to detail. In fact, he took his work every bit as seriously as Hux did himself and they had even had several moments of mutual enthusing about what they were seeing that had them both grinning sheepishly afterwards at their childlike delight in their subject. 

That had been the catalyst for conversation and now Hux was listening to Kylo talk about how difficult it was to be the firstborn of Leia and Han and how he’d been the experimental child while Rey, who was a good ten years younger and the apple of his uncle’s eye, seemed to do no wrong. He bitched and snarked and Hux found himself cackling on more than one occasion. Kylo had a wickedly sharp tongue and it made him seem a kindred spirit in a way Hux had never considered. He was starting to really think that maybe he’d had him wrong and that they were more alike than he’d thought. 

They were so focused on their conversation and what they were doing that at first they didn’t hear Phsama calling them. When they did, Hux frowned. 

‘Guess they figured out where we were.’ He moved closer to the water and then stared at the way it was swirling. ‘Um, is it my imagination or has the water level gotten higher?’ 

‘Huh.’ Kylo came to stand next to him. ‘Would you look at that.’

‘Phas?’ Hux called and then he heard her screeching from the otherside. Unfortunately all he caught was something that sounded like downpour, water and…

‘Fuck, did she say flooding?’ Kylo asked and Hux’s blood ran cold. 

‘Oh bugger.’ He turned his torch on the gap they’d come through and they both heard the way Phasma’s voice turned garbled and then the gap disappeared completely under a surge of dirty water. 

‘Oh no.’ Hux scuttled back from the water’s edge. ‘We’re trapped.’

‘Fuck!’ Kylo was glaring at the water as if it had personally offended him. ‘Any ideas?’

Hux looked around him,. They had been over every inch apart from the far back corner, and he nodded in that direction. The water was now starting to lap at the edges of the stream and overflow a little. He took a step back and raised his eyebrow at Kylo. 

‘Maybe we get out before we drown?’ he said and Kylo grinned at the sarcasm in his voice. 

‘See, that’s why I like you,’ he chuckled. ‘Defiance in the face of obstacles.’ 

‘This is not an obstacle, Kylo,’ Hux replied, still walking backwards from the water. ‘This is a very serious situation.’ Then he registered what Kylo had just said and his stomach did a weird little flip. ‘Wait, what? You like me?’

‘Sure.’ Kylo was peering at the rising water. ‘I’ve always liked you.’ He looked a little sheepish. ‘It’s one of the reasons I wanted to share a study with you, why I’m always trying to get on the same projects. I just wanted you to notice me and to spend time with you.’ 

Hux was momentarily floored. He’d never ever thought this might be the angle that Kylo was coming from. 

‘Why did you never say anything?’ he asked, aware that he sounded a bit pleading. Then again they were stuck in a cavern filling with water, so that was all relative. 

‘Because.’ Kylo waved his hands around. ‘You’re Armitage Hux! You’re cool and disdainful and so freaking smart that everyone hides around corners when you come walking down the hallways on those stupidly long legs of yours. You’re also fucking beautiful. I mean, your hair and your eyes and I’m making an ass out of myself here, so please stop me.’ He slapped a hand over his mouth, his dark eyes huge. 

Hux gaped for a minute and then threw all caution to the wind. 

‘Fuck it.’ he declared and grabbed Kylo by his face and kissed him frantically. Kylo made a surprised noise and then he kissed back. Both of them grappled with each other and Hux felt like his heart was going to explode it was beating so fast. He shoved Kylo back and steadied them, breathing hard. ‘Wait, we’re still trapped.’

‘I know.’ Kylo was grinning like an idiot. ‘But I have an idea.’ He grabbed Hux’s hand and dragged him away from the water, which was now lapping gently at their ankles. ‘But we’re totally picking this up later.’ 

‘All right.’ Hux scrambled after him. 

The back corner they hadn’t explored was exactly where Kylo took him. 

‘I felt air moving over here,’ he explained. ‘I’m guessing there’s another way out of here.’ He clambered over a rocky shelf and directed the beam of his torch upwards. ‘There!’

Hux saw an opening in the roof of the cave and the narrow chimney that ran up from it. Thankfully this part was not covered in the crystal formations and as he looked up into the hole, he caught a glimpse of light. 

‘Oh thank God.’ He pointed up. ‘It clearly leads to the surface.’

‘Now we just need to be able to climb it.’ Kylo was studying the opening. ‘It’s wide enough for us to get out but it looks pretty sheer.’ 

‘We’ll need to climb.’ Hux looked back at where they’d left their kit. It was thankfully on a boulder at the side and out of the water. He jumped down from the shelf and grimaced when the water reached his knees. He sloshed through it, careful to keep his footing, until he could grab their packs and head back. 

Kylo hauled him up onto the shelf and took his pack. 

‘I’ve never seen you climb,’ he said and Hux gave him a wolfish grin. 

‘I’m pretty damn good at this.’ he replied. ‘And I have brilliant motivation right now.’ 

‘God, you’re so fucking funny.’ Kylo’s grin was positively goofy. ‘I’m going to fuck you stupid later.’

‘Oh my.’ Hux was appalled that his body hadn’t gotten the memo that they were in peril. Instead there was a distinct stirring in his loins that would have had Phasma cackling at him. ‘In that case, can I suggest we fuck off?’ 

‘We’ll have to sling our gear,’ Kylo told him. ‘And you go first. You have more experience at climbing.’ 

‘Are you sure?’ Hux eyed the water, which was rising quickly. 

‘Absolutely,’ Kylo assured him. 

They worked as quickly as they could. Hux shed his helmet and tied it with the rest of his gear. He got into position and Kylo moved to stand next to him. 

‘You ready?’ he asked and Hux nodded. 

‘Would you mind?’ he asked and Kylo nodded and bent to lace his fingers together to give Hux a boost into the chimney. He lifted him almost effortlessly, his strength apparent and Hux’s brain had the tiny obtrusive thought that they would have to find a way to apply that strength that was more entertaining. He got himself securely wedged in, the chimney just wide enough to accommodate his shoulders. 

‘It’s going to be a tight fit for you,’ he called down. ‘Seeing as you’re much broader than I am.’

‘Oh, you noticed.’ There was a distinctly flirtatious note to Kylo’s voice. ‘You okay up there?’

‘Just fine, thank you.’ Hux got a firm position against the wall at his back, his feet planted against the wall opposite. ‘Although I think that my thighs will never forgive me for this.’

Kylo’s laugh bubbled up deep and warm below him and Hux started to ascend. It took time to make sure he was not going to slip (the last thing he needed was to land on Kylo’s head) and he was soon straining, breathing hard from the exertion. Beneath him, Kylo had managed to make his way in was coming up, although more slowly. 

‘You weren’t kidding about the tight fit,’ he grumbled. ‘I feel like I’m stuck back in the birth canal.’

‘Don’t make me laugh,’ Hux muttered, having to lock himself in place and fight off the giggles. ‘And please don’t make reference to your mother’s vagina.’ 

‘My mother is terrifying.’ Kylo laughed. ‘She's very proud to know she’d made me that uncomfortable. You'd be in the line of fire too.’

‘Jesus Christ.’ Hux shook his head and focused on moving before he did fall down. He took it slowly, one bit at a time and the light above them got bigger. ‘Almost there.’ 

‘Good.’ Kylo sounded a little disconcerted. ‘I think I’m about to get a wet ass.’

Hux finally broke, snuffling into his chest as he snickered. He almost lost his grip on the edge of the chimney, the wet grass under his hands making it difficult to get a grip that would allow him to pull himself out. Thankfully, two hands inserted themselves under his armpits and he was dragged bodily from the hole and set on his feet before a finger was wagged in his face. He looked up into ice blue eyes and cringed. 

‘You!’ Phasma was furious. ‘I am going to rip your bollocks off! Then I’m going to staple them back on and kick you in them!’ Behind her, Mitaka was looking like he was torn between amusement and terror.

‘Phas…’ Hux started but then he was being shoved aside by Zehra and Brahim as they grabbed hold of Kylo and hauled himself out the hole. 

‘No!’ She glared at them both. ‘I’m going to kill both of you! Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?’

‘Yes, we do,’ Kylo replied. ‘But in our defense, we did it because we knew we’d find something amazing.’ 

‘What?’ Zehra looked between them, her worry forgotten in the face of a new discovery. 

Kylo looked at him and Hux felt himself melt in the face of that boyish grin. 

‘We’ll show you as soon as the water subsides.’ he said and Phasma snorted.

‘It’s going to have to be pretty fucking spectacular to get me to forgive you.’ she declared and Hux smiled. 

‘Oh it most definitely is.’ he said and Kylo laughed and bumped their shoulders together. 

-

A month later, and Hux was sitting in his study. He had a copy of the Journal on his lap and he was grinning at the article describing the new cave system that was taking the geological world by storm. It was now considered to be the finest in the United Kingdom and he’d been courted by his fellow academics and the Geographical Society alike and his father had even managed a telephone call to begrudgingly congratulate him. Hux had taken great delight in giving him an earful of profane language that told Brendol in no uncertain terms what his son thought of him and then hanging up before jumping Kylo on the sofa that sat between their desks. 

That had been another development and as it turned out, the only thing better than being nemeses was being boyfriends. Hux was delighted because he had finally found someone as sarcastic, cuttingly intelligent and bitchy as himself. Now instead of people hiding around corners when they saw him coming, they were downright scuttling for their lives as he and Kylo strolled down the halls, hand in hand and arguing like they wanted to kill each other. It was of course only matched by the way they looked down their noses at everyone else, snickering at lunch and terrorising people in seminars.

It was all such terrible fun and Hux had been more than right. Kylo was very capable of using that strength to the most wonderful effect.


End file.
